What is Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil, Benefits, Uses & More?

Have you ever heard of expeller-pressed coconut oil? If not, you have come to the right place. Today, we will explore a to z about expeller-pressed coconut oil. If you are a curious reader who wants to know different methods of making vegetable oil or butter, then you must read it.

We all are fairly aware of the benefits of using coconut oil for medicine, skin care, cooking, and so on. But do you know how you get the fine coconut oil from the coconut crust? Well, there are several methods to make coconut oil, such as cold pressed, expeller pressed, solvent, etc.

Expeller-pressed coconut oil has a nutty and earthy smell that makes it stand out. In this blog, we will discuss- what is expeller pressed coconut oil. Its uses, benefits, expeller pressed method, and more. We will also compare expeller pressed with cold pressed and refined coconut oil.

So, keep reading to unveil the world of expeller-pressed coconut oils.

What is Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil

As the name suggests, expeller-pressed coconut oil uses the pressed method to prepare the oil. It is one of the traditional and common methods to create coconut oil.

In this extraction method, the oil is squeezed (better, you can say, pressed) out of the coconut meat. This process removes water, fiber, and protein from the oil, leaving pure coconut oil behind. The oil extracted from the expeller pressed method can be used for various purposes like culinary, baking, medicinal applications, etc.

The Expeller Pressed Method

There are multiple ways to extract oil from coconut, such as solvent, cold pressed, virgin oil, etc. However, the expeller-pressed method is more common or traditional to make oil from the coconut.

As the name suggests, the expeller-pressed method uses physical expelling instead of chemical formulas to extract the oil. In the expeller pressed process, high pressure and friction extract oil from coconut.

Typically, no additional heat is given to the oil or in the process itself. But, due to the high pressure and friction, oil temperature can go high during the process. It can often cross 200° Farehenhite while extracting the coconut oil with the expeller pressed method.

However, you must note that when you heat any oil to a certain level, it can lose several nutrients. It happens because of burn-offs or denaturing. The smoke point or burning point of coconut oil is 350°.

The smoke point is the exact temperature point when the oil begins to burn its nutrients quickly with light smoke. Also, remember the oil can lose some of its polyphenolic components and heath-beneficial fats when the temperature is close to the smoking point.

So, it is highly recommended to keep the temperature below the smoking point (as much as possible) during the extraction process. Keeping this in mind will help to save more nutrients during the expeller-pressed extraction process.

The heat application is inevitable in the process, so your extracted oil will certainly lose some nutrients. But this heat will also bring nutty (or toasted) flavors and aroma to the extracted coconut oil. This aroma and taste make it one of the most popular choices of coconut oil for a wide variety of baking and cooking works.

The process differs from the cold-pressed coconut oil extraction, but you can also do RBD (refine, bleach, and deodorize) or winterize after the oil extraction. The expeller pressed method helps to extract up to 87% to 99% oil from the coconut meat, making it one of the effective ways to make coconut oil.

Expeller Vs. Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

Expeller-pressed and cold-pressed are two different methods of extracting coconut oil from coconut. Both of them are effective ways to make coconut oil. However, these techniques are different from each other, and so is the oil you get from each process. The expeller-pressed method completely differs from the cold-pressed method of extracting coconut oil.

In the expeller pressed method, you use an expeller pressing or screw machine to press the coconut meat with high pressure and friction (resulting in high temperature) to extract the oil. The process requires more coconut than the oil you wish to make from it. It makes the expeller press a costly method to make coconut oil. As a result, expeller-pressed coconut oils also tend to be more pricey than other types of coconut oils.

In contrast, the cold-pressed method also uses the pressing method but with a controlled temperature environment. In the cold-pressed method, the temperature always stays beneath 120° Fahrenheit or 49°C. So you can make more oil than the earlier method. Also, there is a significant difference between the expeller-pressed and cold-pressed coconut oil nutritional value.

Without any doubt, expeller-pressed coconut oil loses some essential fats and nutrients due to the high temperature. So, the cold-pressed coconut oil extraction method often stores more nutrients (especially the antioxidant components) than the expeller-pressed ones.

But when it comes to major nutrition characteristics, micronutrients, and calories, they both have the same level of nutritional value.

Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil Nutrients

The oil is also keto diet-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free. Now, let us have a quick look at the nutritional value of the expeller pressed coconut oils:

Taste of Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil

You must know their taste and aroma to identify the true expeller-pressed coconut oil. All coconut oil types have their unique taste and smell (including cold pressed, refined, virgin, and expeller pressed) that makes them stand out from the rest.

The expeller-pressed coconut oil is known for its toasted or nutty aroma and flavor instead of the typical flavors and fragrance of coconut. Using heat during the extraction process leads to this unique flavor and smell. This nutty flavor and aroma make it one of the best-preferred baking and cooking (high heat) coconut oil.

Advantages of Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil

Now, it’s time to learn about its benefits:

• Expeller-pressed coconut oil has been used for cooking, baking, and medicinal applications for years.
• Expeller-pressed coconut oil has lower health-beneficial properties and nutrients than cold-pressed coconut oils. However, several health-beneficial properties are still present in the expeller-pressed coconut oils that make them beneficial in several ways.

Here are some of the common benefits of using expeller pressed coconut oils:

1. Burns Fat

The expeller-pressed coconut oils also contain small amounts of MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides. It is a type of saturated fat that is beneficial for weight loss. Several studies show that MCT intake (including those in coconut oil) adds up to the calories the human body burns. As a result, it promotes body fat burning and helps to lose weight.

2. A Quick Source of Energy

The MCTs present in expeller-pressed coconut oil also work as an excellent energy source for the human body. When you consume MCT, it goes directly to the fat tissues and muscles that need it. Also, it goes straight to your liver and works as an energy source (like carbs).

3. Antifungal and Antimicrobial

The oil also works as an antifungal and antimicrobial solution. Lauric acid (a component of MCT) is the primary antifungal and antimicrobial source in coconut oil. So, when you use coconut oil, including expeller-pressed ones, it helps to prevent several fungal and microbial infections or diseases.

4. Boosts immunity

Coconut oils are also a great natural immunity booster. The expeller-pressed coconut oils also have some essential components that help to boost your immune system and make it stronger. The oil contains several antioxidants like flavonoids, tocotrienols, phytosterols, polyphenols, etc., that help to neutralize free radicals. As a result, it helps to prevent several degenerative and chronic diseases.

Uses of Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil

Below is a brief list of usages of expeller pressed coconut oil:

1. Baking

The expeller-pressed method uses extreme pressure that translates into high heat to extract coconut oil. Because of this high heat (usually 140° F), the natural taste of the coconut fades away. On the other hand, this high heat creates a nutty and toasty flavor. That is why many prefer expeller-pressed coconut oil for baking. The oil gives a beautiful texture and flavor to the final bakery products.

2. Cooking

Expeller-pressed coconut oil is also ideal for culinary purposes. If you want a coconut-y flavor, you can consider cold-pressed coconut oil. But cold-pressed oils lose their nutrients and flavor when heated. However, the expeller-pressed coconut oil does not lose many nutrients (since it has been created under high heat) or flavor. That is why you can easily use this oil for high-temperature cooking.

3. Hair Care

The expeller-pressed coconut oil is natural and uses no substance or chemical in the processing. That is why the expeller pressed oil also has medicinal use. It has no nutrient level like cold pressed or virgin coconut oil. But as a natural oil, it has many nutrients that are good for your hair.

4. Skincare

Many people think cold-pressed coconut oil is ideal for skin care. The pressed method uses high heat, which removes many nutrients. But the fact is that the expeller pressed method does not use heat above 140° Fahrenheit. Thus, it retains many important nutrients and vitamins of the fruit. This makes expeller-pressed coconut oil suitable for skin care.

Conclusion

Expeller-pressed coconut oils are widely popular for baking and high-heat cooking. The oil is an excellent choice for culinary application due to its unique toasted or nutty aroma and taste.

The expeller-pressed method is one of the traditional methods of extracting coconut oil from the coconut meat. You can also make expeller-pressed coconut oil with a handy expeller-pressing machine like Anatole Electric Oil Press Machine. The oil may have lower antioxidants and several other nutrients, but it still has many benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil Natural?

Yes, expeller-pressed coconut oil is not refined oil. Both expeller and cold-pressed coconut oil are natural. These methods do not use chemicals or other substances to extract the oil.

The expeller-pressed method uses heat. But some of the nutrients and vitamins are still not lost.

Does Expeller Press Coconut Oil Taste Like Coconut?

No, expeller-pressed coconut oil does not taste like coconut. It is because of the heat used in the expeller-pressed oil extraction method. The expeller-pressed coconut oil tastes more nutty or toasty.

Which Coconut Oil is Best for Cooking- Expeller or Cold Pressed?

Both expeller and cold-pressed coconut oil are good for cooking. But the cold-pressed oil loses its nutrients when heated. You can use this oil for medium-heat cooking. In this sense, expeller-pressed coconut oil is best for cooking.